Improvement in tobacco and gorain-curer



ittrd garnet @wat @Mira HENRY R. ROBBINS, OF BALTIMORE,'MARYLAND, ASSIGNORTI) HIMSELF AND J. J. MORA N. OF SAME PLACE.

Laim Parent Ng. 93,347, daad August 3, 1869.-

IMPROVEMENT IN TOBACC .AND GRAIN-CURER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part ai the same.

To all whom it may concerny y Be it known that I, HENRY R. RoBBlNs, of the city and county of Baltimore, and State of Maryland,

have invented a new and improved Tobacco and Grain- Curer and Artificial-Season Producer; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and-exact description of the construct-ion and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical transversev section through line a: x of fig. 2.

-Figure 2 is a horizontal section through line y y of The object of this invention is to construct an apparatus by which tobacco or grain can be artificially cured, in an exceedingly' short time, not only without impairing its good qualities, but in such a manner as to produce, with certainty and uniformity, an article of cured tobacco, superior in appearance, fragrance,

and taste, to that cured from the samematerial by any other known process. To this end,

My improved apparatus is so constructed and arranged, that, by means of it, the tobacco can be moistened and then dried, at any required temperature, the degree of moisture and heat being always under the control of the operator, 'and an equable draught and circulation of air being always maintained.

In the drawings- A represents the outer and A1 the inner wall'of the building, in which the operation of curing is to be conducted, said walls being so arranged as to leave an air-space or tube, a, all around, or any part of the building, open at its top, on the inside of the house, under the roof Az.

The inner walls "may be strengthened by braces B B, extending across the building, or connected to the outer wall, as preferred by the builder. C is a chimney, near the centre ofthe building, the lowerend of which is connected to the bottom of the air-space a by means of ues F F, or pipes, at or-beneath the door of the building, which ilues or pipes may be extended to near the roof, to answer instead of the inner walls..

D is a furnace, connected to the chimney by a smokeflue, d, and being constructed with double walls and floor, so as to have a water-space, e, all around, below, and, if required, above the fire, whereby the full effect of the latter will he exerted upon the water, and as great an amount of steam as possible generated.

This steam is conducted .away by a pipe, G, having an open branch, g, by which the steam may be let out into the interior of the building, and having, also, a

branch, g', leading' into the chimney, by means of.

which the steam, or any portion thereof', may be blown on" into the chimney, and thereby caused to create a strong draught up through the latter, theeffect yof which will be, vat the same time, to increase the intensity of the furnace fire, and tocreate a circulation of air from the interior of the building into the space a, and thence, through the flues F F, into the chimne f.

.lhe branch g must have a valve, i, and the branch g should also be provided with another, t', above the point where the two parts connect.

The apparatus ,may be provided with a steamgauge, E.

Along one side of the building, is a water-tank, H, connected with the lower part of the furnace by a pipe, h, so as to supply water for the generation of steam.

Above this tank, .is another, I, supplied from any proper source, and communicating with the tank H, by Ymeans of a pipe, J, having a cock, j, the water being introduced into the lowertankfrom the upper, if necessary, the supply being controlled and regulatedbyl the cock.

The apparatus may be so constructed that rain, or"v the drip from the roof, either outside the building or within, will be conducted into one of the tanks, preferably the upper one.

From the upper tank, a pipe, K, extends slightly downward to a sprayer, L, above the furnace, from which a jet of watermay be sprayed upon the top of the furnace, (as shown in red, fig. 1,) and instantly converted into steam, the supply to the sprayer being controlled by a cock somewhere between the latter. and the tank.

In order to prevent the water from dripping off of the furnace, the top of the same may be surrounded by a vertical flange, fm. The better construction' would, perhaps, be to make its top in an arched form, as seen in fig. l, surrounded on each side with the upright ange, and having drip-vessels, o o, provided under the eaves, as shown in fig. 2.

The furnace itself may be made of wrought-iron, so

as to-endure any degree of heat, pressure of steam, or change of temperature, without breaking; and it may` be constructed in sections, sothat itcan be enlargedr or diminished, if necessary, inasmuch as the size of the furnace must be adapted to that of the building in which it is employed, land the amount of work required of it.

- Instead of the braces B B, rods, adapted to support the tobacco that is to be cured, may alone be used, and these may be disposed in any order that may prove most convenient, and economical of space.

If there should be any drip between the walls A A1,

a cock may he provided at the bottom of the space a,

for drawing off the water of condensation.

The whole apparatus is simple, and easily operated, by any common laborer. Its effect, in the curing. ofv

tobacco, has been practically tested by a long series of experiments, and demonstrated to be of the greatest utility.

The tobacco can be first put in season by moisture,

or moderately steamed to any required extent, andl at any degree of heat requisite. 'The sprayer may then be shut off, the cock i closed, and the cock i opened, throwing the whole of the steam into the chimney, and creating such an atmospheric draught from *the furnace, on one hand, and through the space a and fines F F, on the other, as will instantly augment the heat ofthe furnace to a great degree, While the damp airinside of the building is forced into the chimney and carried ofi", its place being supplied by pure, fresh air, introduced, at suitable points, through valves or dalnpers, provided for the purpose.

Thus, from a condition of great heat and dampness, the air can, in a few minutes, be changed to one of great dryness, and of any degree of heat reqnirerhthe heat being regulated both by a damper in the flue d, as Well as by cold-air dampers in the Walls, oor, or roof of the building.

\Vhen these various conditions are properly brought to bear upon the tobacco, it will be cured' in such a -lnanner as to give it a delicious iiavor and fragrance, and that rich golden hue, which is itself a niark ofthe best quality ofthe manufactured article.

Tobacco that has been improperly cured by other processes, so that its market `value has been dimin ished, can be thoroughly restored, and rendered a iirstclass article, by the proper-.use of the means above described.

By this apparatus, a planter4 may cut, strip, and cure his tobacco, and have it in market the same season. Without this means, he will get it to market when his neighbors do, and when the great quantity on hand reduces the price; but, ava-iling himself of the above invention, he Will supersede his neighbors, and be in time to secure the'highest market price.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. The combination of the double walls, having the space a between them, with the fines F I", chimney C, furnace D, having a Water-space or boi1er e, and pipes G g g', when constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In connection with the furnace D, and an'anged within a tobacco-,curing house, A A, the employment of the tanks I H, and pipes h J K, arranged substantially as described, so as to be adapted to the purposes herein specified.

- HENRY R. ROBBINS.

Witnesses:

A. HAWKINS, J 01m V. EMICH. 

